Am I allowed to put a security camera on my house?
Only your own property. A security camera is allowed as long as it captures only your own plot. Neighbouring plots, public pavements and roads may not be filmed — that breaches personality rights and the GDPR. There is a signage duty (a hidden sticker isn't enough — the captured area must be clearly recognisable beforehand). Video doorbells too may only cover your own entrance, not permanently record the public path.
📋 The rules
- Filming is allowed only on your own property
- The neighbour's plot, pavement and road may not be captured
- Signage duty: the monitored area must be clearly recognisable in advance
- No permanent, reasonless all-round recording (data minimisation)
- Video doorbells only for your own entrance, not the public space
- Even the feeling of being watched can entitle neighbours to an injunction
🔓 Exceptions
- Cameras showing only your own yard/garden/entrance are permissible
- Interior rooms of your own house (without secretly filming guests/staff)
- Brief, event-based recordings on concrete suspicion can be permissible
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Filming the neighbour or the public path lets the affected person sue for an injunction and removal (courts regularly order it) and claim damages. Data-protection authorities can impose fines — usually lower for private individuals, but in the individual case up to €20,000 and more. Secret filming can also be a crime (§201a of the criminal code).
📎 Official sources
- Consumer Centre · film only your own property →
- Bußgeldkatalog · video surveillance & data protection →
- § 201a criminal code · violation of intimate privacy →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I put a camera on my house?
Yes, as long as it captures only your own property. As soon as the neighbour's plot, the pavement or the road is in frame, it is generally not allowed and breaches personality rights and data protection.
Can I film the pavement in front of my house?
No. Private individuals may not monitor public paths and roads with their camera. You must set or mask the field of view so only your own property is visible.
Are video doorbells allowed?
Only to a limited extent. They may show your own entrance but not permanently record the public path or the neighbour's door. Footage should be stored only briefly and event-based (e.g. when someone rings).
What does an unlawful camera cost?
The neighbour can sue for removal and an injunction and claim damages. Data-protection authorities can impose fines — for private individuals up to €20,000 in the individual case. Secret filming can additionally be a crime.
Is a sign enough?
A hidden sticker isn't. Anyone monitoring an area (on their own property) must point it out clearly and in advance. More importantly, others' areas must not be captured at all.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “security camera house allowed germany”
- “camera filming neighbour plot banned”
- “video doorbell data protection”
- “film pavement camera allowed”
- “security camera fine gdpr”
- “camera neighbour injunction”